Haunted
by DroopyHamster
Summary: When Paige made the decision to investigate Braidwood Manor, she was not sure what she expected to find. Whatever her expectations, she did not expect to befriend a family of murdered siblings, and she certainly did not expect to find love.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: this story had so much potential. Sigh.**

* * *

The wind outside Braidwood Manor howled desperately, the snow falling in a continuous flurry that showed no signs of relenting. The hour was late, but Paige lay wide awake with the sleeping form of Eleanor curled up in her arms. Paige smiled to herself as she stared at the peaceful expression on the other girl's face, but it vanished almost instantly as a fresh wave of guilt washed over her. The night they had spent together was nothing short of amazing, which made what she was about to do so much harder than it already was.

Eleanor shivered slightly in her sleep. Paige pulled the blanket up covering her exposed shoulder and holding her close against her. Paige chewed her lip thoughtfully as she agonized over what she was about to do. She cared for the girl in her arms, more than she had ever expected to, and despite the fact that they were in very different stages of life. She had come to care for all of the Waverleys, but Eleanor had truly captured her heart. She had come seeking answers but now she had more questions than ever.

She absently ran her fingers up Eleanor's arm, surprised by the warmth of her skin. It was so easy to forget that Eleanor was a ghost when she felt so very much alive. Paige cared for her more than she had ever cared for anyone, and it made her desire to help her almost a desperation. Eleanor was carrying around a secret that was tearing her apart, and a hundred years worth of holding on to that secret weighed heavily on her.

Paige felt hot tears of guilt sting her eyes, and she swallowed away the lump rising in her throat as she looked at her. She sighed heavily, placing a tender kiss on Eleanor's shoulder as she allowed her mind to wander back to what was possibly the greatest night of her life.

* * *

The two of them sat quietly on Paige's bed, neither of them certain of what exactly to say to each other. The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the howling of the wind outside the manor.

Paige sighed, taking it upon herself to break the deafening silence. "Look, I know you're not some mystery for me to solve."

"Then what exactly am I to you?" Eleanor demanded, refusing to meet her eyes.

"You really want to know?" Paige said, brushing her hand lightly against Eleanor's. She stiffened slightly, but did not pull away.

"You're someone that I never expected to find," Paige said softly. Eleanor's demeanor softened slightly, but she still refused to meet Paige's eyes. "But, now that I have, I can't picture my life without you. And I don't want to."

Eleanor turned to face her. Her expression was still apprehensive, but much softer than it had been moments ago. "You...do you truly mean that?"

Paige but her lip, nodding slightly. "You might have your secrets Eleanor, but that doesn't make you who you are. You are so much more than that. And if you're willing to share that part of you with me, then I promise I'll keep it safe, because it's too precious to me." She hesitantly took Eleanor's hand in hers, relieved when she didn't pull away.

Paige's eyes searched hers, trying to see if her words had any impact. Eleanor's dark eyes stared back at her, and she was truly afraid she would be lost in them if she looked too long. She was truly beautiful, and Paige felt her heart swell whenever she looked at her.

Suddenly, Eleanor's lips were on hers, gentle and somewhat hesitant. Paige gently ran her fingers along her jawline, pouring silent support into her touch. Eleanor's movements became bolder, her kisses becoming more insistent as she wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, pulling her closer. She pulled away several moments later, placing a hand on Paige's chest, her eyes dark with desire.

"Sorry," Paige said breathlessly. "Do you want me to stop?"

Eleanor bit her lip, shaking her head slightly. "No. Quite the opposite, actually. But you know that I...that I've never..." Her voice trailed off, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I would hate to disappoint you."

"That's not possible." Paige whispered, pressing her lips gently against hers. She trailed feather light kisses along Eleanor's jawline, a slight gasp escaping her as Paige gently took her earlobe into her mouth.

"Paige," Eleanor whispered breathlessly, sliding her hands under Paige's shirt. Her fingers trailed up her back, causing goosebumps to pop up along her impossibly smooth skin. Eleanor's hands shook slightly as she tentatively slid the fabric off of Paige, unable to hide to blush in her cheeks as her eyes roamed over her exposed torso.

She ran her hand down her flat stomach, marveling at the feel of her skin beneath her fingers. She lightly ran her fingertips over the tattoo adorning her rib cage; an intricately designed lock twisted into the shape of a heart with a large keyhole in the center. Feeling bolder, she leaned forward, lightly grazing her lips against Paige's neck.

Paige shivered slightly at her touch, her arms wrapping around Eleanor's waist, pulling her closer.

They took their time undressing each other, each new patch of skin sending waves of excitement through them. Soon they were fully exposed to each other, save for the black fabric covering Eleanor's neck. Paige had her suspicions as to why it remained, but she was not about to push the subject. Eleanor flushed a deep red as Paige's eyes roamed over her.

"You're so beautiful." Paige said, running her fingers along Eleanor's collar bone.

Eleanor smiled more openly and genuinely than Paige had ever seen before. Her eyes misted slightly as she gazed deep into Paige's eyes. "Nobody has told me that in a very long time."

"Then I'll have to make up for lost time," Paige said kissing her nose playfully.

Eleanor wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling her close and kissing her hungrily, desperately. Paige gently captured her bottom lip with her teeth, eliciting a gasp of pleasure.

Eleanor shivered as Paige slowly ran her hand up her thigh, pausing just short of her destination. She hovered above her, her eyes searching Eleanor's with an unspoken question. Eleanor silently nodded her approval, arching into Paige's touch.

The next several hours passed by in a blur; hands, fingers and mouths enthusiastically exploring each other. Their bodies moved as one, their troubles temporarily forgotten in each other's embrace. It felt like an eternity before they finally collapsed happily into each other's arms. Eleanor rested her head on Paige's chest, sighing happily as Paige ran her fingers along her back.

"Are you sure you've never done that before?"

Eleanor smiled shyly, slipping her hand into Paige's. "Quite sure. And I must say, it was well worth the wait."

Paige smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I guess I should take that as a compliment."

"Let's just say I would happily wait another hundred years if I knew that I would find you at the end of it."

A comfortable silence fell between them, until Eleanor finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Now, several hours later, Paige was faced with the moment she had been dreading. She was not ashamed to admit that she was afraid. Not just about what she would find beyond the door, but afraid that Eleanor would come to hate her for what she had done. The last thing Paige wanted was for Eleanor to think that she had used her and that her feelings were not genuine.

She took a steadying breath, slowly untangling herself from Eleanor. She watched her carefully, looking for any sign that she was about to wake up. But she remained sleeping, a soft smile on her lips as she slept.

Paige quickly dressed, doing her best to be as silent as possible. She felt around in the dark, her fingers finding the fabric of Eleanor's dress. Carefully, she slipped her hand into the pocket, her fingers closing around the heavy key tucked safely away. The key felt heavier than the others, as if it felt the entire weight of the secret it kept locked away. Paige's heart was beating loudly in her ears, and her throat had suddenly dry. For a brief moment she considered abandoning the whole idea. She could crawl back into bed with Eleanor and think of a story to tell the other Waverley children. But even as she thought it, she knew she couldn't walk away. They had trusted her, and were now depending on her to help them and their sister. It did not matter what she did, she would end up hurting someone either way. If that were the case, she had to choose the route that could potentially free them all, rather than the one which only made her happy. She sighed and silently crossed the room before she had the chance to talk herself out of it.

"I love you, Paige." Eleanor muttered in her sleep.

Paige stopped in her tracks, her hand resting on the door knob. She glanced over her shoulder, feeling her heart drop to her stomach.

"I love you, Eleanor." She whispered. "That's why I have to do this. I just hope you can forgive me one day."

With one last steadying breath, she slipped silently into the hallway.


	2. Chapter 2

The door to the parlor burst open, splintering the wood as the figure of Rose Waverley loomed menacingly in the door frame. Her eyes fell on her younger children, a grotesque grin spreading across her charred face.

"My darlings!" She crossed the room at an alarming rate, arms outstretched as she reached for Simon.

"No!" Eleanor screamed from across the room. She moved to protect her brother, but Paige reached him first, pushing Simon behind her just as Rose's fingers grazed him.

An angry, demonic screech escaped Rose as she gripped Paige's throat in a vice-like grip. "I tire of your meddling!"

Paige cried out in pain as her skin blistered beneath the fiery touch. "If you're trying to choke me out," she said through gritted teeth "you're doing it all wrong."

Rose sneered, backhanding Paige with her other hand before tossing her aside with frightening strength.

Eleanor rushed to Paige's side, kneeling down next to her and cradling her head in her arms.

"You have to tell them," Paige said weakly. "It's the only way they'll ever be safe from her."

Eleanor bit her lip, her eyes betraying her internal struggle. Several tense moments passed, until finally a look of resolve came over her face. She stood tall, facing her mother as she reached behind her and loosened the black band of fabric covering her neck.

"No!" Rose shrieked angrily.

The fabric fell away, revealing the dark secret it had been hiding. The gaping wound adorning her throat stretched from one side to the other in a grisly smile that had long ago sealed Eleanor's fate.

"Eleanor!" Clarissa gasped, her eyes widening in horror. "What...what happened to you?"

Eleanor raised a shaky hand, pointing an accusing finger at her mother. "She did this. Our so called mother."

"Silence, you little-" Rose began.

Eleanor continued, her voice carrying confidently over her mother's. "I'm so sorry to have to tell you like this, but I have withheld the truth from you for far too long. She...she murdered us. All of us. She poisoned the three of you, and when I found out she did _this_."

The younger Waverley children stared in shocked horror, trying to process what Eleanor had just said.

"So," Clarissa began, "so, that means we're..."

"Dead." Thomas said in a soft voice.

An ear splitting howl filled the room as Rose Waverlery's body erupted in a ball of flame, radiating an intense heat. She fell to the ground writhing in pain as Eleanor fixed her with a heated stare.

"You stole everything from us, Mother. You took our lives, all because you were so afraid of _everything_!"

Rose's body began crumbling to ash before their eyes, her shrieks filling the room around them. Clarissa turned away from the sight, her sobs barely heard above the wailing. Paige wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a hug. Clarissa hugged her tightly, burying her face into Paige's shoulder.

"All I ever did, I did to protect you! I would have lost you anyway, the same way I lost your father!"

Eleanor let out a dark laugh that held no trace of humor. "You didn't lose him, you fool! He survived the war. He was the one who _found_ us!"

Rose's continuous shrieks finally halted, her movements slowing as she processed what she had just heard.

"You...you lie!"

"Father never recovered from what you did to us. Ultimately, it was _you_ that killed him, Mother."

Rose stopped fighting; the flames around her extinguishing as she finally accepted her fate.

"William..." she croaked out. "Forgive me..."

"Father is gone, he is free of you." Eleanor said, her voice dripping with hatred. "And where you are going you will never see him again."

The remains of Rose Waverley shattered to dust, finally leaving the place she had turned into a prison. A heavy silence filled the room, broken only by Clarissa's occasional sobs. Eleanor reattached the black fabric with a shaking hand. Her siblings rushed to her side, wrapping their arms around her in a fierce hug.

Her eyes settled on Paige, her eyes staring at her with affection and more than a little concern.

"Are you okay?" She asked gently.

Eleanor took a deep breath, nodding her head slightly. "Yes, I...I think so. Are you?"

"I think so."

Eleanor smiled sadly as she untangled herself from her siblings. "I'll be right back, darlings. I must speak with Paige privately for a moment."

A knowing smile flashed across Clarissa's face. "Take your time."

* * *

Eleanor led Paige out of the room, a palpable silence hanging between them as they stood in the foyer.

Eleanor took a deep breath before finally speaking. "Paige, I must thank you for everything that you've done for us."

Paige looked at her in surprise. "You're not mad at me for stealing your key while you were sleeping?"

Eleanor smiled sadly. "I was wondering how you did that. Part of me wants to be, but I can't bring myself to be angry with you. Nor can I regret what happened between us. Although I suppose I am a little worried that your feelings weren't genuine."

"Eleanor, my feelings were...they _are_ genuine. It tore me up to do things the way that I did, but I only did it because I wanted to help you. As for what happened between us, that was real. I would never use you like that. I really, truly, care for you."

Eleanor reached out, gently running her finger over Paige's lips, careful not to disturb the large gash in her bottom lip. Her eyes caught sight of the burns running up Paige's neck, thinking of how she had stood between her mother's deformed figure and her siblings.

She placed a gentle kiss on Paige's lips, resting her forehead on hers. "I may not approve of your methods," she said softly, "but I believe you. And I care for you too, more than I can say."

They stood in the foyer, silently holding each other for several moments. The manor was eerily quiet for the first time in countless years. The secrets once holding the manor captive had been exposed, finally setting the manor and the inhabitants free.

Eleanor sighed sadly, reluctantly untangling herself from Paige's embrace. "I suppose I must return and face the children. Somehow that prospect frightens me more than dealing with my mother."

Paige gave her a reassuring smile. "It'll be alright. It's not like Thomas's mood can get any fouler."

Eleanor smiled in spite of herself, taking Paige's hand and leading her back to the parlor.

* * *

The younger Waverley children stood around the room, looking expectantly at Eleanor as she entered. She smiled sadly at them, her eyes betraying her worry despite her outwardly calm demeanor.

"I owe all of you an apology. I should have told you ages ago, but I just...I just couldn't bear to burden you with it. I just wanted to spare you."

Simon approached Eleanor cautiously, his innocent mind trying to process all that had taken place. "Am I...are _we_...ghosts?"

Eleanor smiled sadly, pulling him into a gentle hug. "Yes, Simon. I'm so sorry, but that's the truth." She looked to Clarissa and Thomas, her eyes misting as the dam of guilt within her finally broke free. "I know how angry with me you must be."

Clarissa and Thomas crossed the room, wrapping their brother and sister in a hug.

"We understand Eleanor. If I had been in your place..."

"I can only imagine how difficult this has been for you." Thomas said, his voice softer than normal.

Eleanor's eyes filled with tears of relief as she held her siblings to her. Quiet sobs and sniffles filled the room as the children held each other, each lost in their own thoughts and emotions. Paige watched at a distance, a surge of emotion coursing through her as she thought of all they had lost. They were so young, betrayed by the one person who should have protected them and loved them. In the short time that she had been in the manor, Paige had come to care for the Waverley family, even moody Thomas had managed to grudgingly make his way into her heart. She knew what would come next; in a way she had always known. But now when she was facing the idea of saying goodbye, she felt her heart breaking.

After several moments, the Waverley's parted, looking to Eleanor for guidance just as they had for the last century.

"What happens now?" Thomas asked.

"Is it time for us to...go?" Clarissa said, fumbling over her words.

"Yes, darlings. It's time for us to finally leave this place."

Simon looked back to Paige, a look of confusion on his face. After a moment of hesitation, he ran towards her at full speed, wrapping his arms around her waist in a fierce hug. Paige could not help but smile as she returned the embrace. She ruffled his hair playfully.

"I'm gonna miss you." He said, sniffling slightly.

"I'll miss you too, Simon." Paige responded, kissing the top of his head affectionately. "Try to stop scaring people, okay?"

He nodded slightly, stepping away as he crudely wiped his nose on his shirt.

Clarissa immediately stepped up to take his place, tears streaming down her face as she hugged Paige. "You know, I've never had a best friend before."

Paige swallowed a lump in her throat. "Neither have I. I'm glad that changed."

Clarissa pulled away, smiling through her tears. "Goodbye, Paige. Thank you for everything."

Thomas approached, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"I know I wasn't very nice to you. I suppose I should apologize for that."

Paige smiled. "I'll miss you too, Thomas."

He gave a brief smile, nodding politely before returning to his signature broody expression.

The younger Waverley children gathered around Eleanor, hugging her tightly.

"It's all right," she said quietly. "Just close your eyes, and let yourself fall away."

Paige wiped a tear from her cheek as a bright light suddenly filled the room, engulfing the Waverleys. The light became brighter until Paige was forced to close her eyes against the intensity. When the light finally faded, only Eleanor remained. She clasped a hand to her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Paige gently wrapped her arms around her, holding her tightly as Eleanor sobbed into her shoulder.

"It's okay," Paige said quietly.

"Why did it have to be this way," Eleanor said sadly. "We had our whole lives ahead of us. And now, after I finally meet you, I-" her voice trailed off.

Paige's eyes filled with tears as she felt the weight of Eleanor's words. She pulled her close, kissing her gently. After several moments, Eleanor pulled away, looking sadly into Paige's eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you too" Paige said, placing one last lingering kiss on Eleanor's lips.

The same bright light began to fill the room. Eleanor clung tightly to Paige, burying her face into her neck. Paige held her tightly against her, desperate to commit her feeling to memory. Soon the light engulfed the whole room, forcing Paige to close her eyes against the intensity.

"Goodbye, Paige."


End file.
